Vacuum-brake



(No Mdel.)

W.- ,FITZHUGE vAcUpM-BBAKB,

' No. 517,819. Patented Arpa-3,1894.

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VNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

WILLIAM L. FITZHUGH, oF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

VACUUM-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part o f Letters Patent No. 517,819, dated April 3, 1894.

To all whom it may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. FITZHUGH, a citizen of the United States ot' America, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Brakes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. y

My improvement relates to van improved vacuum carbrake, andit consists in the novel combination and arrangement ofthe parts, substantially as hereinafter disclosed and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:'-Figure l is a partly sectional and side elevation of my invention as applied to a car for use, and Fig. 2 .is an enlarged broken detailed view of the same.

A is a vacuum cylinder or chamber having an extension a, at one end or head, pivotally` supported at the lower end of a bracket or pendant a bolted or otherwise secured to the under-side of the car B.

B is the piston Ywhose rod B passes out through a st ufling box c applied to the other head or end of the cylinder, the outer. end'ofl the piston rod terminating in a semi-circular extension, forming, with a corresponding part, a split collar d embracing an eccentric() secured upon the car axle e. The cylinder or chamber A is provided i-n its upper surface with two outwardly opening air valves f, arranged near its ends, respectively. Opening through the lower side of and into said cylinder or chamber, near its ends, are two branch pipes g g leading from a common air-pipe D connecting by a exible pipe E with lan open ended cylindric valve chamber h opento the external air. The valve E arranged in the chamber or cylinder h has a xed or rigid ,connection with the valve rod F. actuated through bell cranks G pivoted to pendent brackets i upon the under side of the car and the crank-levers H pivoted upon the car, near its ends and linked as at j to said bell cranks, whereby as the Vtrainrnan presses preferably by his foot upon either one of said crank-levers the valve E is operated as presently seen.

In operation it is obvious that, with the valve E in the position shown in Fig. 2, by

v Application filed DecembervZZ, 1891. Renewed September 26, 1893. Serial No. 486.573. (No model.) l

lalso apparent that with the valve E at .the

opposite side of the pipe Il) from that shown in` Fig. 2, said valve is actuated by depress- V ing the right-hand crank-lever H, andthat/by varying the application of pressure to the crank levers H, more or less air can be cutoff from the piston cylinder A and the axle, with its wheels, be allowed to turn more or less and their movement not be entirely arrested. The advantage which this form of construction presents over any hitherto conceived is made plainly manifest inview of the fact, that in all known forms of air brakes the great strain or jar from violent air pressure sometimes causes rupture o f the tubes or weaker parts of the mechanism, whereas by use of the vacuum power which is equally as efficacious and great as that of the air brake, no jarring or straining results can be produced, and all danger from this cause is 'obviated. Thus constructed a more efficient and less expensive car brake is produced than has hitherto been invented.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- A l. The car brake having the vacuum cham; ber or cylinder with its piston and piston-rod in combination with the eccentric secured to the wheel axle and the air cut 01T or regulating valve and pipe connection between it and said chamber or cylinder, substantially as specified. y

2. The car brake having the vacuum chamber or cylinder, with its air outlet-valves and piston and piston-rod, in combination with the air-pipe having branch connections with said cylinder or chamber near opposite ends thereof, and the valve for opening and closing the outer end of said air pipe, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car brake, the combination with the ICO cylinder or chamber, near its opposite ends, the piston and piston-rod having eccentric or crank connection with the Wheel axle and the air cut off valve with its actuating mechanr 5 ism, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence ot'` two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. FITZHUGH. Witnesses:

SAML. A. DRURY, Jos. H. GUNNELL. 

